Theolosius the Mad

Theolosius the Mad was the last archmage of the Northern Empire during the final phase of the Great Northern War. His attempt to save Petramonis by opening Melodias's sealed Well caused the Great Collapse.

Last Archmage¶

By 660 LC, Zani armies had captured the first capital of the United Northern Empire. By 662 LC, they had conquered the second. As the empire retreated toward Petramonis, Theolosius searched forbidden texts for a power capable of reversing defeat.

He learned of the ancient Primordial Wells and the gods sealed within them during the Wonder Age. Under Melodias's influence, he bypassed the seals beneath Petramonis.

The Incident¶

In 670 LC, Theolosius opened Melodias's prison. The release of her power destroyed Petramonis and the surrounding lands in a vast magical explosion. The catastrophe split Omniluxia, cooled the climate, caused famine, weakened the Eldritch Forest's mana, and unleashed storms, tsunamis, and invasions across the old world.

Theolosius's action also empowered or awakened several hostile peoples: goblins, drow, vampires, and other beings tied to Melodias's influence.

Legacy¶

Theolosius destroyed the Northern Empire he meant to save. Yet his significance reaches beyond failure. He is the figure who turned a losing war into a world-ending event, proving that forbidden magic and divine desperation could do more damage than any army.

In later memory, his madness is inseparable from the end of the Zanic Age, the birth of the Post-Zanic world, and the continuing fear of organized magic.

See also: Northern Empire, Great Northern War, Great Collapse, Melodias, Divine Wells, Magonis the Wise, and Timeline.